March 09, 2016

Vogue 100: A Century of Style Celebrated in Style at the National Portrait Gallery

Getting my Vogue on

Whenever
I tell people that I am pursuing fashion journalism, I am usually met with
responses such as, “Working at Vogue would
be your dream job then, right?” Right. Vogue’s
prestigious reputation precedes its namesake, even for those less
fashionably inclined.

I’m
sitting here drinking tea from my Vogue
100: A Century of Style mug, which I purchased with the precise intention
of being inspired. It’s hard not to be motivated when drinking tea that’s
tinged with the fantasy of Vogue, so
close that I can almost taste it through my English Breakfast blend.

To
celebrate British Vogue’s centennial,
the National Portrait Gallery is showcasing 100 years of photography
commissioned by the magazine since its conception in 1916. It was born from the
rubble of World War I, when the U.S. version of Vogue was unobtainable. The exhibition brings together over 280 prints
from the Condé Nast
archive and international collections for the very first time.

Starting
in 2016, we weave through the rooms and are transported all the way back to the
Roaring Twenties, where the art deco covers are truly a sight to be seen. Vogue 100 is a visceral, visual delight.
Fashion fans need not bother to read the images’ accompanying placards. The
exhibition’s rapturous audience will no doubt be familiar with the photograph’s
subjects and the photographers themselves, easily identifiable by their unique
styles.

How fabulous is this cover from May 1926?, photo courtesy of British Vogue

Photographs by Mario Testino, Patrick Demarchelier, Bruce Weber,
Steve Meisel, Lee Miller, David Bailey, Irving Penn, Lord Snowdon, and Cecil
Beaton have graced the hallowed pages of Vogue
throughout the years. Now their accumulated wealth of talent proudly lines
the National Portrait Gallery. Models include modern-day muses Edie Campbell
and Cara Delevingne, as well as throwback stars Grace Coddington, Jean
Shrimpton, and Twiggy.

In amongst the fashion pack, you will also spy the likes of Boris
Johnson, The Beatles, Jude Law, David and Victoria Beckham, Francis Bacon,
Damien Hirst, Princess Diana, and Aldous Huxley, who used to work as a
sub-editor and then an essayist at Vogue.

Personally,
I gravitate towards anything by photographers Nick Knight or Tim Walker. I
practically floated in the direction of the massive Lee Alexander McQueen portrait
by Walker, which occupies its own alcove. If you know me well, you know how
much of a fan I am of the late, great designer (read my review of the V&A’s
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition from 2015 here).

As I
looked up in awe, almost moved to kneel at the altar of my fashion idol, the
clearly gleeful expression on my face was apparent, while McQueen’s remained nonchalant
in his presiding position – forever my king. My twitching finger had to be
restrained from clicking my camera shutter, as photography was not permitted in
the exhibition – unbearable as it was for me.

Speaking
of Knight, Vogue 100 features an
ethereal print of model Lily Donaldson wearing John Galliano, surrounded by
cotton candy pink Diwali dust. It took two years for Knight to arrive at the
finished product. Now that’s dedication from a true master of his craft.

This print (2008) of model Lily Donaldson took photographer Nick Knight two years to finalize, photo courtesy of British Vogue

The
exhibition is the culmination of five years of hard work and research by
curator and contributing editor to British Vogue,
Robin Muir. Muir painstakingly analyzed 1,800 issues ofthe magazine. Whether
you think fashion is frivolous or not, there is no denying the plethora of
talent on display at Vogue 100.
Copies of the magazine from each year are laid out next to one another, making
me envy the rightful owners of these rare, and practically pristine, covers.

The first issue of British Vogue is dated September 15, 1916,photo courtesy of The Guardian

Vogue 100 is full of smaller parts that help
to bring the bigger picture of a magazine in focus, like the cutting room. It
flicks through slides from the ‘40s to the ‘90s and shows which final images
were chosen, while the others received the chop. Anna Wintour, the
editor-in-chief of American Vogue, is
said to make split-second decisions, indicating her picture choices with a
simple wave of her hand. This type of skill takes a certain ruthlessness and a
keen eye that only experience and time can provide.

This is a
task I face with my style blog, A Stitch in Time. It is incredibly difficult to decide what photographs to use when confronted
with hundreds, or sometimes thousands of them. The money shot is in amongst all
of those pictures like a needle waiting to be found in a haystack. It could be
the difference between a smirk and a Mona Lisa smile, or a natural lighting
alteration that only lasts for a fraction of a second.

So many choices, so little time, photo courtesy of FashionUnited

While
journalists write the words, the photographers capture the images to accompany
them. We agonize over different types of continuity to ultimately illuminate
the stories in a fantastical partnership. For without one, there could not
exist the other, which is just another reason why I love fashion journalism so
much. Vogue 100 only further
solidified that for me.

In the
February 2016 issue of British Vogue, Muir
comments, “The
magazine's editor-in-chief, Alexandra
Shulman, knew exactly what Vogue100 was not going to be: black-framed pictures hung on the gallery
wall in rows.” The exhibition is, in fact, quite the opposite. It’s engaging
and captivating, so much so that I was still perusing when I heard the loud speaker
announcing 10 minutes until closing time. I had to rush to the shop so that I
could immortalize Walker’s McQueen print on my pin board and pick up my new
writing companion – the aforementioned Vogue
mug of course. It looks like it’s time for another cup of tea…

As I
caress the glossy pages of my March issue with Edie Campbell on the front, I whisper,
“Happy Birthday” to the influential magazine. Not only has it celebrated its
100th in total style, but it has also ostentatiously blown its own
trumpet in a way that only Vogue could
– with its own exhibition.

Vogue 100: A Century of Style is at the National Portrait
Gallery until May 22nd. The exhibition has proven to be very
popular, so book your tickets in advance online here to avoid disappointment. I additionally recommend choosing a
later time slot so that you don’t get caught up in the crowds.